To the editor:

Lock 9 and our city leaders are out of control. This is a project that no one, including the construction company hired to over see the project, has any clue what the cost is going to be.

In May, the city commissioners approved the “emergency ” transfer of $1,000,000 from the general fund to Lock 9 for matching money for the grants that the City was getting. ($2.2 million) Later, after several emails, I find out that there is no $2.2 million in grants. The $2.2 million in grant money is money that is already received and spent in the last couple years on lock 9.

Now, the city commissioners have approved the borrowing of $5.8 million from the utility fund. Again waving the 3 readings because this is an emergency. Yet no one can still tell how much this project is costing the tax payers.

With the money that was spent before May of 2023, ($2 million) prepping the site and purchase of the building that houses “The Crooked Handle Brewery. The 1 million from the general fund and now 5.8 million from the utility fund, the total will be $8.3 million. However, we still don’t know the grand total because we entered into a project with an open checkbook. (The tax dollars of the citizens)

Deron Yingst

Piqua